No prosecution for mum of girl rescued from forced marriage

The mother of a 15-year-old girl almost forced into marriage will not be facing prosecution as earlier thought.

Hamzatu Hassin was expected to go to court today after officials of DOVVSU arrested her for being an accomplice to the offence of forced marriage.

The girl who was to be married off to a man in his late forties is now in a shelter under supervision.

But DOVVSU officials have decided against prosecuting her mother and have granted her bail.

But Public Relations Officer of DOVVSU, DSP Freeman Tettey, said: “We are not saying they are no longer going to court…We are also mindful of constitutional provision of 48 hours. And this particular issue is a misdemeanor and is also a bailable offence. We also have the option of granting her bail.”

“Because you take her to court. What about others? What offence? So we are looking at this. And also on the back of this the marriage has not taken place.”

DSP Freeman Tettey indicated that the victim is still “in the custody of the Social Welfare.”

He said the department is meeting relatives of the child “including the mother to see how best [to] safeguard the interest of the child.”

The police also denied reports that the family of the girl intend to relocate to Niger.

The 15-year-old would have been married to a man said to be thrice her age. The Takoradi-based man known is said to have offered a cow to seek the hand of the girl in marriage. The marriage was due for this Saturday.

But following a Joy FM report the Department of Social Welfare and the DOVVSU moved in to arrest mother. The father of the girl is still at large.